BOONE, N.C. - For its third game in its mid-January road-stretch, the App State women's basketball team is headed to San Marcos, Texas to challenge outgoing Sun Belt member Texas State on Wednesday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) and will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Despite leading the Panthers through 20 minutes, App State fell short to Georgia State on Saturday, 79-57, in Atlanta. Senior
Emma Smith marked her fifth game as the Mountaineers' top scorer, netting 18 points. It was also her third consecutive game and eighth game overall in double figures this winter. Smith also knocked down two of App State's five 3-point buckets against the Panthers and grabbed a team-high six rebounds, recording her ninth game as App State's top rebounder this year. Junior
Daisia Mitchell dished out a team-high three assists. The Black and Gold held Georgia State to five offensive rebounds.
Rankings Report
Averaging 11.2 and 10.2 points per game, sophomore
Jayden McBride and Mitchell remain App State's top scorers. McBride has been App State's top scorer in seven games this season, including back-to-back games against Coastal Carolina (Jan. 7) and Southern Miss (Jan. 10). The Erie, Pa. native netted a career-high 26 points in the Mountaineers' victory against the Lady Eagles, drilling 6-of-7 from beyond the arc and shooting 71.4% from the field. In 11 games this winter, Mitchell scored double figures, leading the Mountaineers in four games. Smith continues to lead the Sun Belt and ranks 65th nationally in assist to turnover ratio (1.91) and leads the Mountaineers with 3.9 assists per game. She is also App State's top rebounder, grabbing 6.4 boards per contest.
App State leads the league and ranks 50th nationally in scoring defense (58.3). The Mountaineers also rank 43rd in the NCAA and third in the SBC in rebound margin (7.1). Additionally, App State stands second in the conference in field goal percentage (43.7%), assists per game (14.8), and assist to turnover ratio (0.96).
In conference-only action, App State ranks fourth in free throw percentage (72.8%), assists (14.0), scoring defense (66.7). McBride checks in at fourth in the league in 3-pointers per game, averaging 2.4 per Sun Belt contest.
Series History vs. Texas State
App State leads its series against Texas State, 10-7. The Mountaineers and Bobcats last met on Jan. 4, 2024 in the Holmes Convocation Center. App State fell short, 67-58. Four Mountaineers scored double figures, led by Chaé Harris, who netted 16 points and knocked down two of App State's three triples.
Rylan Moffitt registered a double-double with a team-high 11 rebounds as well as 11 points. The Mountaineers held the Bobcats to seven offensive rebounds. Throughout the game, the Mountaineers and Bobcats knotted the score on four occasions and swapped the lead five times.
Scouting Texas State
Texas State is 7-10 on the season and 3-4 in conference play. The Bobcats return to the court after dropping a pair of home contests to Southern Miss (Jan. 14) and Troy (Jan. 17). Texas State won four consecutive games from Dec. 10 to Dec. 29, which included a 2-0 start to Sun Belt action with a pair of wins against Louisiana and ULM. The Bobcats opened the new year on the road with losses to James Madison and Troy before completing the season sweep of Louisiana in Lafayette.
Sophomores Saniya Burks and Kyra Anderson are Texas State's top scorers, averaging 15.0 and 11.2 points per game, respectively. Burks leads the Sun Belt in free throw percentage (83.6%) and ranks fourth in points per game. Anderson is also the Bobcats' top rebounder, grabbing 7.8 boards per contest, while fellow sophomore KP Parr averages 2.9 assists per game.
Texas State ranks among the SBC's top five and rounds out the NCAA's top-60 in blocks per game (4.4) as well as turnovers forced per game (19.88). The Bobcats also stand third in the league in scoring defense (63.1). Through seven conference games, Texas State ranks fourth in defensive rebounds, averaging 27.1 per conference clash. Individually, Burks stands second in free throw percentage (86.4%) and Parr ranks third in assist to turnover ratio (1.7).
On the Horizon
App State will close out its January road stretch with a stop in Lafayette, La. on Saturday. The Mountaineers will clash with Louisiana at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT) and the game will be available to stream on ESPN+.
